Team to drill down to the Earth's mantle

A $1 billion mission to retrieve the first ever fresh samples of our planet's mantle has been proposed.

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program is set to delve deeper in to our planet's interior than ever before as researchers seek to answer long standing questions about the Earth and what lies within it. The mission would begin with the Japanese deep-sea drilling vessel, Chikyu, which would start drilling at the bottom of the ocean floor where the crust is at its thinnest.

Project co-leader Damon Teagle described the project as "the most challenging endeavor in the history of Earth science." If the plan goes ahead then drilling could begin before the end of the decade, however due to the limited lifespan of the drill bits it could take several years to actually reach the mantle.

"A team of international researchers want to drill deeper into the Earth than ever before to answer mysteries about our planet."

So you don't do "what ifs..."? OK, I get it. There is no dreaming of possiblities with you, right? Oh well, maybe on some parallel universe, huh? "For the earth is hollow and I have touched the sky." Star Trek episode For the earth is hollow No.. you are just joking aren't you?? Seriously? You do know the pressures and temperatures down there... Volcanoes have been doing this for eras, bringing magma to the surface, and you wont find amethyst down there either

So you don't do "what ifs..."? OK, I get it. There is no dreaming of possiblities with you, right? Oh well, maybe on some parallel universe, huh?You're entire warning is founded on a "what if". What if your house is rigged to explode the next time you sleep? Oh noes!

If they miscalculate, drill to far, puncture the outer core sending tons of molten liquid gushing to the surface like a massive magma oil gusher it could destroy the magnetic field, we will lose our atmosphere and the polar axis would be constantly shifting causing massive earthquakes all over the globe possibly even moving entire continents not that anyone would be still be alive to witness it. Just saying. Or... A more sane and scientific answer would have been; They'll let all the air out, and the world will deflate. I really don't think they should do this considering this.